


Ghost of Halloween Past

by mollrach13



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Halloween, M/M, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-13
Updated: 2012-10-13
Packaged: 2017-11-16 06:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/536295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mollrach13/pseuds/mollrach13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Halloween is Gwaine's favourite holiday</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghost of Halloween Past

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the merlingwainebar Halloween fest/challenge using image prompt no.8.

“I Love Halloween.” Gwaine grinned, Tesco’s bag serenely swinging from one hand.

“Why?” Merlin replied with a scowl as a group of little children, all on sugar highs, raced down the high street, their parents helplessly following in the wake. Merlin jumped out of the way just in time, and dunked his converse into a puddle. 

“It was the best holiday when you were a kid.” Gwaine continued after giving the little brats a fond smile. “All the chocolate and sweets of Christmas without having to sit through a meal with Great Aunt Gilda and her false teeth.” Merlin shared in Gwaine’ shudder now that he had shaken the most of the water of his trainer and caught up. “The late night of New Years without pointless count downs and you get to wear costumes.” Gwaine grinned sending Merlin a wink. “I like costumes.”

“I’m well aware” Merlin chuckled earning a nudge from Gwaine. 

“I would have thought that you would have liked Halloween, being you know…”Gwaine wiggled his fingers in his oh so subtle code for a little bit Magic. Merlin rolled his eyes. 

“Being…” wiggly fingers, “has nothing to do with Halloween. It’s a commercialised holiday intent of getting money out of people to celebrate a day that doesn’t eve-“

“Argh.” Gwaine groaned theatrically throwing his head back to the darkening sky. “Why such a killjoy my little magician? I’ve obviously been letting you hang out too much with that Pendragon boy.”

Merlin scoffed accepting the arm Gwaine threw around his shoulders, tucking neatly into his boyfriends side. “Well, it’s still true.”

“Enough.” Gwaine demanded. “You can either be a bore, go and sit in Pendragon’s darkened cave and bemoan the world at large, or you can be a doting boyfriend, some home with me and help me carve this pumpkin.” Gwaine swung the overfull carrier bag, the brilliant orange fruit shining through the thin plastic.

“Fine.” Merlin grumbled. “But only if you let me eat all the Mars bars.”

“Such a Halloween Grinch.” Gwaine sighed dramatically giving Merlin a fond look. He pressed a tender kiss against the man’s nose grinning when Merlin went cross-eyed to watch his lips. 

*

Later that night they were stretched out along the sofa, a single lopsided carved pumpkin sat on the coffee table, the front room illuminated by flickering candles.

Merlin chucked the last sweet wrapper in the direction of the bin and curled up loosely next to Gwaine, tucking his thick socks between the man’s legs. 

“I do love Halloween you know.” Gwaine spoke softly into the quiet room. “My last real memory of my dad was Halloween. We went trick or treating and he let me stay up late watching old films with him on the sofa.” The arm around Merlin’s shoulders squeezed tighter. “I fell asleep on his lap and then woke up half way through the night to throw up all the sweets he let me eat,” Merlin chuckled along with Gwaine quietly. “I still miss him, you know?”

Merlin didn’t know, he had no earthly idea what it was like to have a father that you actually missed with real direction, not just the vague idea, so he tightened his arm around Gwaine’s stomach snuggling further into the man’s warmth and let his eyes swirl gold, pulling their duvet off their bed and draping over their entwined bodies. 

They sleep there together that night, candles flickering around them, under the knowing look of the pumpkin light.


End file.
